Theater of Dreams: Scenes from a Memory
by Aku Blossom
Summary: The first act begins: Mojo revists an old scheme, one that finds Townsville in the presence of two sets of Rowdyruff Boys. One set, suddenly violent and unruly; the other set, struggling to discover just who they really are.
1. Scene I: Regression

**The Powerpuff Girls In:**

_**A Theater of Dreams**_

**Created by Craig McCracken**

**Story by Kevin Ivy**

**

* * *

**

**Act I: Scenes from a Memory**

**Scene I: Regression**

"And once again, the Rowdyruff Boys were thwarted by the Powerpuff Girls!" No sooner had those words left the anchor's mouth, the TV was abruptly switched off. Alone in darkness, two pink eyes stared at the blank screen unblinking. Once again the Powerpuff Girls had utterly humiliated the Rowdyruff Boys.

"How is this possible? This makes no sense, is utterly implausible and completely not anchored in reality! How could those girls fare so easily against my boys, so simply crush my offspring, so effortlessly put down my progeny? The boys were stronger, faster, meaner, tougher, and all around more vicious than those girls could ever be!" The simian scientist steepled his fingers, getting lost in the sound of his own breathing, his own heart beating.

"Something is wrong, incorrect...just not right, what could it be?" Him had brought his sons back to life, had stripped from them their one weakness. The boys had been volatile, unbalanced. Their fear of cooties had caused them to just simply deteriorate at the molecular level. But after that initial confrontation they had suddenly become...weak, powerless against the girls.

"Perhaps Him's power was insufficient to return them to their previous state of power? Perhaps their strength is hindered somehow?" The villain had wandered over to his nearest computer console, switching on footage of the boys' second fight with the girls. His suspicions were unfounded though, the boys held their own against the girls before Him's magic took effect.

"It was the girls who resorted to using trickery and cunning to defeat the boys, not the boys who resorted to magical enhancements..." Mojo switched to the other encounters the girls and boys had been in. Every other time the girls had completely and utterly trashed the boys. Mojo scratched his chin and brought up two videos, placing them side by side. One was of the second fight, the other was of the first—original—battle between the superpowered kids.

"I never really noticed it before, that is, it never really crossed my mind, nor did it ever come to my attention but, the two sets of boys have several differences, disparities...something is off about them," The two sets were at first glance identical, but a closer inspection showed a certain...sophistication that the previous set had the later lacked.

"What did he do to you, boys?" Mojo rubbed his turban and looked around his lab, eyes drifting lazily. His gaze eventually found its way back to the dual screens, showing the two sets of Rowdyruff Boys standing side-by-side. Both tough, certainly stronger than their feminine counterparts, but assuredly they weren't the same two groups, despite sharing the same names and basic physical characteristics.

"Perhaps I could...no that wouldn't work...would it? There would be no way to...but perhaps there would...I suppose for simple scientific curiosity I could. And if I am wrong, incorrect, mistaken in my calculations then I'll only have another weapon to crush those accursed girls!" Laughing maniacally, Mojo clapped his hands, dropping the lab into darkness once more.

* * *

Gutsmen's Physical Construction Gym, the most infamous gym in all of Townsville, located in scenic Southside Townsville. Mojo, wrapped in a trenchcoat and a big brown fedora, kicked aside piles of trash and entered the gym. The villain gagged and stumbled back into the only moderately foul smelling street air. Covering his mouth with a paper bag, Mojo stumbled in.

'Breathe in, breathe out...breathe in, breathe out,' Mojo squinted his eyes, looking around the gym for the biggest, toughest, absolutely manliest looking bodybuilder he could find. The man was a known felon, one who had just recently escaped from Townsville Maximum Security Prison.

"Excuse me, Mr. Tigre," The man, a massive, cherry-skinned mobster with slicked back, spiky black hair, dropped the gargantuan weights and spun around, tossing his head back and roaring like a feral cat.

"Yo, youse talkin to me? Youse gots' somethin' to say to me?" The man looked down at Mojo and his furious expression was replaced by one of nervous respect. He clasped his hands and leaned down closer to the megalomaniac. "Oh, hey Mr. Mojo. How's youse doin'? Can I help youse with somethin?" Mojo cleared his throat, regretting the action and quickly covering his mouth with the paper bag.

"Good afternoon Mr. Tigre, I have a proposition for you. I am in need of something you posses, something I wish to acquire so that it may be in my possession and available for my use at a future time to aid in the destruction of the Powerpuff Girls. This is to say that this which you possess that I wish to acquire will be instrumental in the demise of those accursed girls, which will bring about their discontinued existence!" The man blinked and scratched his head, laughing nervously.

"Uh...sure Mr. Mojo, anything youse needs," Mojo grinned and produced a pair of scissors.

* * *

Mojo whistled, swinging his two packages. The trip to the store had been far less exciting than his trip to the gym. Still, he hadn't made the mistake he had before. This time he had gotten the highest quality of escargot he could find. It cost a lot more than his previous ingredients, but that extra mile was what he suspected would make the difference between this time and last time. He was just missing the final piece of the puzzle. The last ingredient to his strange brew, his devious cocktail.

"Now where is that annoying little pup? Ah! There he is!" Mojo strolled by Talking Dog and casually snatched his tail. The little dog turned around and looked at his now bare backside, frowning.

"Ouch...not again..."

* * *

"Snips, snails, and a puppy dog tail...this is what little boys are made of!" Mojo carefully measured the ingredients and dumped them into the thickest, heaviest pot he could find in his laboratory. Just one more step...one that wouldn't be an accident at all.

"Mwahaha! This time Powerpuff Girls, you will not know what hit you! For I have real Chemical X! Not a simple, unstable byproduct of my own natural processes, but the real deal! The good stuff! These boys, will be unstoppable, unbeatable, completely invincible!" Mojo pulled a few levers, lowering a metallic arm holding the vial of his precious elixir over the pot.

"Careful...yes..." Slowly, with a measured precision Mojo poured the pure Chemical X into the pot. The brew had already begun to glow fiercely. Mojo tensed up, pressing a big red button. The mechanical arm dumped the rest of the Chemical X into the pot, and another arm stretched out, slamming a heavy metal lid onto the mixture. The pot began to glow brightly, bouncing and trembling.

"No! It's too much for the defense field! It's going!" A blinding light flung Mojo across his lab, where he crashed into the wall and slowly slid to the floor. He sat there, fighting in and out of consciousness, listening to a voice speaking to him from a distance.

"...the only one around, we're gonna start with you!" Mojo forced his eyes open, gasping and feeling tears of joy coming to his eyes.

"My boys...you're alive," The boys stopped and glanced at each other, turning back to Mojo wearing identical looks of confusion.

"Who are you?" Mojo's face fell, and the boys once again exchanged a confused look.


	2. Scene II: Overture 2002

**The Powerpuff Girls In:**

_**A Theater of Dreams**_

**Created by Craig McCracken**

**Story by Kevin Ivy**

**

* * *

**

**Act I: Scenes from a Memory**

**Scene II: Overture 2002**

Mojo stumbled to his feet, keeping his back against the wall. The boys had also taken cautious steps backward, wearing personalized looks of bewilderment. Mojo stroked his chin and swallowed, stepping forward. He quickly stepped back, noticing the three boys tensing up.

"Who are you boys? By this I mean what is the title by which you call yourselves?" Brick looked at his brothers. Boomer shrugged and Butch swallowed, preparing to attack if Mojo made any sudden movements. Brick turned back to Mojo and cleared his throat, taking a brave step forward and thrusting out his mitt.

"We're the Rowdyruff Boys!" Mojo nodded, still looking them over with a certain parental fondness. Boomer's hair was neatly combed once more. Butch again sported his cowlick. Brick's hair was cut short, just like his brothers'. They were exactly how they had looked nearly two years ago.

"Boomer, Brick, and Butch," Mojo stated, pointing at each of the boys as he called out their name. The boys gasped and jumped back, raising their fists.

"Hey! How do you know who we are? Who are you!?" Brick enunciated the 'you', thrusting his mitt out again. Mojo held up his hands defensively, keeping his distance.

"My name is Mojo Jojo! And I am your creator, the one by whom you have come into existence, your father!" The boys let their arms drop to their sides and looked at each other once more.

"But how do you know who we are? We've never seen you before, dude!" Boomer pointed out, hand to his mouth. Mojo stroked his chin, pacing back and forth. The boys watched him, with varied degrees of emotion. Boomer looked confused, his eyes following Mojo closely. Brick had his arms crossed, frowning as he, too, followed Mojo's pacing. Butch scowled and put his hands in his pockets, staring at the ceiling.

"This is fascinating, you have no recollection of anything from your previous state of being. Nor do you seem to possess a knowledge of the existence of those other three...do you boys remember anything at all?" Boomer shrugged and looked at Brick, who returned the gesture.

"No way man, we don't know anything you're talkin' about," Mojo turned to Butch, who had remained quiet the whole time. Butch noticed the stare and returned it with a glare.

"What? I don't know what you're talking about either...I guess," The simian walked closer, inspecting the boys to ensure they really were the Rowdyruff Boys he remembered. Down to the most minute detail, they were in fact the same set he had created first.

"You guess?" Butch blinked and scratched his head. He kicked at the floor and shrugged, looking back at his brothers. Brick had discovered what Butch found so interesting about the ceiling, apparently, while Boomer just shrugged again. Butch stuffed his hands back into his pockets and scowled at the floor.

"Remember what? We were just made like...ten seconds ago weren't we?" Mojo sat down at his computer console, nodding. The boy had a point, they had just been made a few minutes ago. Brick walked forward, the first to lose his wariness of Mojo.

"Butch is right, what are we supposed to remember?" Mojo blinked and spun around, facing his console. Fingers flying across the keys, he brought up the video data of the boys first battle once more.

"Perhaps showing will spark your memories, this is your previous life boys," Butch and Boomer joined Brick, all three turning their eyes to the computer console.

* * *

"We're the Rowdyruff Boys, and we wanna fight!" The three boys each threw a powerful punch, sending the girls flying, crashing through a brick wall. They laughed uproariously, expecting the fight to be over already. Butch and Boomer were stunned when they saw a green light slam into their red-haired brother, pinning him against a dumpster and beating him relentlessly. The two came their brother's aid, knocking the girl away and beating her while she laid helplessly on the ground. Two streaks, one pink and one blue, slammed into them and sent them to the ground at Brick's feet.

"Hey what's wrong with you girls? You're supposed to start crying when we hit you!" Brick demanded, pointing his mitt at the girls. Boomer climbed to his feet, glaring at them.

"Yeah!" Butch rolled his eyes, standing up and readying himself for the next round. The red-haired girl narrowed her eyes and glared at the boys.

"What are you guys, new?" The blonde perked up, helping the brunette puff to her feet.

"Yeah we're the Powerpuff Girls!" The brunette was back in action, looking ready to fight as she stood ahead of her sisters, about to charge the boys again.

"And it takes more than a couple cheap shots to make us cry!" Brick shrugged and looked at his brothers, grinning deviously.

"Well then...looks like we'll just have to serve it up?" The boys all grinned wickedly, before rushing the girls once again.

* * *

"There you see! That's you! Do you remember now?" The boys all continued watching. Boomer slowly shook his head, Brick had one eye squinted trying to make sense of the video, while Butch rubbed his cheek after watching his video counterpart receive a particular harsh blow.

"Uh...well that looks like us but..." Butch cut Brick off, shaking his head and crossing his arms.

"I don't remember any of that, it isn't us!" Boomer put his hands behind his head, laughing nervously. Mojo gave the blonde a pleading look, but was met with disappointment. Boomer just shook his head.

"Sorry, man, but I don't remember that at all," Mojo frowned and tapped his chin, switching to a later part of the video.

"Well then, perhaps you'll remember this?" Brick sighed and lifted his hat, scratching his messy hair. He looked at his brothers. Neither looked convinced by Mojo's assertion. Brick looked back at the screen. More of their fight with those girls. It definitely looked like them, no denying that. But like his brothers, he was drawing a blank trying to recall anything resembling the scene Mojo Jojo was now showing them.

* * *

"Turn on the afterburners!" The boys sped up, releasing a thick, tricolored smog behind them. In no time at all, they had caught up with the Powerpuff Girls, and just as quickly as they had reached their targets, they shot passed them. The boys spun around laughing loudly as they watched the girls gag and cough, unable to breathe through the thick gas.

"Heheheh! Good thing we had those burritos for lunch!" Butch commented, snickering and watching the girls fall out the gas cloud. Boomer laughed and threw his hand into the air victoriously.

"Yeah man!" Brick chuckled and sneered, pointing at the girls.

"Word, now let's finish these sissies!" All three boys forced forth all of their power to the surface. They instantaneously began to glow in their corresponding colors. The boys cackled with malicious glee, uninhibited by the sheer amount of power radiating from their bodies. Moving in unison, they dropped full speed toward the girls. Falling like meteorites, the boys collided with their counterparts, releasing all of the pent up power into their bodies. The girls screamed, each a brief bark of pain before passing into blissful unconsciousness. The boys held them for just a moment, before simultaneously pulling back and watching their prey fall unmoving to the ground.

The moment the girls collided with the ground, all of the pent up energy was released, resulting in a silent white light that radiated throughout the entire city.

* * *

"Surely you must remember this! The greatest triumph any villain has had over the Powerpuff Girls! You boys thrashed them, crushed them, utterly defeated them! They were powerless before you! Had they not somehow survived, I would be ruling the world!" Mojo tossed his head back, laughing maniacally. The boys all shrugged again, looking at each each other.

"Mojo I'm sure...uh you've got the wrong guys. Maybe that happened, but we really don't remember it," Mojo stopped laughing and turned to them, frowning deeply.

"You've got to be kidding me! This doesn't ring any bells? Surely you're just playing with me!" The boys shook their heads, still watching the video. Mojo frowned and watched them closely. Boomer was leaning in closer, tilting his head to the side. Butch was still frowning, though it was less of a scowl and more a look of concentration. Brick just kept his arms crossed, slowly shaking his head. The boys were really trying, but nothing was coming up. Mojo sighed and tapped his chin.

"Perhaps this will remind you! Surely something so intimate, such a pure expression of familial ties will awaken your sleeping memories!"

* * *

The boys landed in Mojo's observatory once again, Butch and Boomer carrying a cooler of Gatorade. Brick snickered as they floated up behind him, pointing at Mojo and grinning.

"And my reign of evil has just begun!" Mojo shrieked and jumped when the boys suddenly dumped the cooler on his head. He slipped and fell on the floor, laughing just as joyfully as the Rowdyruff Boys were. Mojo wiped the energy drink away from his face and continued chuckling.

"You guys...I've planned a great celebration! Go entertain yourselves while I procure the proper victory meal for us to enjoy in celebration of our grand victory!" The boys whooped and flew off, as Mojo went to the phone, looking through the phone book.

"Yes, Chubby Cheese's Pizza Palace? I'd like to place an order..." The boys had retreated to the living room, laughing and shoving each other, bragging about their individual exploits.

"Dude you should've seen me! I totally creamed that sissy! I was like 'Pow!'" Boomer threw a kick, barely missing Butch, who dodged at the last moment. Butch grinned viciously and stood up, leering at his brother.

"Yeah and when I saw that green-eyed girl I was like 'Bam!'" Without further warning, Butch slugged Boomer and sent him flying across the room. Brick snickered and suddenly grabbed Butch by his cowlick.

"Oh yeah? Well when I caught the pink girlie, I grabbed her hair and did this!" Brick swung Butch around by his hair and threw him into the couch, knocking the piece of furniture over.

"Oh you are so gonna get it!" Brick was holding his belly and pointing while Boomer rolled around on the ground, both laughing. Butch tackled Brick and grabbed him in a headlock.

"Dog pile!" Both brothers looked up suddenly as Boomer came flying at them, pinning them to the ground. While the boys wrestled, Mojo came into the room, laughing when he saw them.

"Boys! The food has arrived, it is time to eat! Let us eat, drink and be merry! Celebrate, joyfully proclaim our victory!" The boys pulled away from each other and shot passed Mojo into the kitchen.

"Alright!" Brick threw open the first box and the boys practically drooled while staring at the cheesy, greasy piece of heaven laid in front of them.

"What is it, Pops?" Mojo plucked a slice from the pie, taking a bite and daintily wiping his mouth with a napkin. He held up his slice and grinned at his sons, who had each snatched their own slices.

"Pizza my sons! The food of winners! The traditional meal of the victor!" The boys threw each other high fives before biting into their first slices of pizza.

* * *

"Anything? Any memories? Dreams? Revelations?" Mojo's voice seemed almost desperate, his hands clasped nervously as he watched the boys for some sign of remembrance. Butch sighed and dropped his arms to his sides, shaking his head. Boomer looked away sheepishly, coughing into his fist. Brick just shrugged and let his hands drop.

"Sorry Mojo...nothing at all..." Mojo sighed and reclined in his seat, staring at the video footage. Slowly a wicked grin spread across his face.

"Perhaps there's another way to spark your recollection!" The boys all perked up as Mojo changed the display on the screen to an image of the three girls from the video. "You must destroy the Powerpuff Girls!"


	3. Scene III: Strange Deja Vu

**The Powerpuff Girls In:**

_**A Theater of Dreams**_

**Created by Craig McCracken**

**Story by Kevin Ivy

* * *

**

**Act I: Scenes from a Memory**

**Scene III: Strange Deja Vu**

"So uh...why do we have to fight those girls?" The Rowdyruff Boys were en route for Townsville. Butch, who had asked the question, was floating on his back with his hands behind his head. Boomer gave him a wry grin, snickering sarcastically.

"Cause Mojo told us to, duh!" Butch rolled over and scowled at his brother. Brick sighed and shook his head, coming to a halt just over the city. The boys hovered several miles over Townsville, just watching the people go about their daily lives.

"Well apparently we were alive before...and Mojo might be the only person who can help us figure it out," Brick sighed once again, letting his arms drop to his sides. "Like it or not, we've gotta trust him, at least for now," Butch put his hands in his pockets, craning an eyebrow and scanning the street.

"But why? I mean, yeah he wants to take over the world...and he created us...and what you said, but that's not a good reason," Boomer floated in a reclined position, hands behind his head. He yawned loudly and looked over at Butch.

"Well...it's the only reason we've got...you have any other ideas?" Butch shrugged and looked away. He was as lost as his brothers were. Brick nodded and slowly the three started to descend.

"I guess not, look let's just get this over with and get back to Mojo's. Who knows, we might remember something," Boomer and Butch nodded. The three landed in the middle of the street, looking around with wide eyes. It was about noon, the city was in full swing. Boomer yelped and grabbed Brick's arm, stumbling away from an oncoming car. Butch grunted and stepped back, avoiding a pack of pedestrians crossing the street. Brick winced and ducked, dodging a thrown empty cup. The boys looked at each other.

"So uh...any clue how to call those girls? I wanna get this over with," Butch muttered, his head swiveling around frantically. Boomer gulped and partially hid behind Brick, gritting his teeth.

"This is crazy! How are we supposed to find them?!" Brick wiped a bead of sweat from his brow and scanned the street. He noticed an oncoming car and narrowed his eyes. The redhead tapped his green-eyed brother on the shoulder, pointing at the car.

"Stick your fist out and let that thing hit it!" Butch blinked and looked back at the car. Giving Brick one last questioning glance, he obediently stuck out his fist. The ruff didn't flinch when the car slammed into him, tearing itself in two. Boomer gasped and moved out from behind Brick, a broad grin spreading across his face.

"Butch...that...was...awesome! You gotta do that again! That thing was like 'Vroom!' and you were like 'Nuh uh, sucker!' and it was like 'Smash!' and you were all 'No sweat!'" Butch grinned and took a few steps forward. The ruffs all advanced down the street, watching the people scream and take off running away from them. Brick frowned and rubbed his head.

"Geez, does everyone know who we are?" Boomer felt someone fall next to him and turned, standing almost eye to eye with a middle-aged man.

"Um...Boo!" The man screamed and scrambled to his feet.

"Not again Boomer! Get away!" Boomer blushed and scratched his head, turning a confused look on his brothers. They just shrugged and looked around.

"So...what now? We just wait?" Butch asked, already bored with their situation. Brick nodded, crossing his arms and looking up at the sky.

"Yeah, I think so...they should be here any...you hear something?" Boomer and Butch looked at each other, then followed Brick's line of sight. In a flash a three-colored rainbow of pastel light landed in front of them. The Powerpuff Girls had arrived. All three of the ruffs immediately winced and took a step back.

"Uh...the...they look a little taller than in that video..." Boomer muttered, all three boys quickly straightening up and putting on brave faces.

"Well...it might have been a while since that video...they aren't that much taller," As the boys pondered their opponents, the girls were bewildered by the sudden change in the Rowdyruff Boys. Buttercup elbowed Blossom and leaned a little closer, so the ruffs couldn't hear.

"Uh Bloss...is it me or are they shorter?" Blossom shook her head and stared at the boys, one eye narrowed.

"Maybe but what in the world happened to their hair? They look like they used to now..." Bubbles beamed and giggled, waving at the boys. Butch stuck his tongue out while Brick flinched and Boomer took a step back.

"They're acting so weird! It's like they don't even recognize us!" Blossom and Buttercup looked at their blonde sister, and then returned their attention to the Rowdyruff Boys.

"You're right...that's weird...oh well," Blossom cleared her throat and quickly put on a stern expression, "Alright Rowdyruff Boys! What are you up to this time?" Boomer and Butch both looked at Brick, who narrowed his eyes and slouched.

"What? I thought we were just...nevermind..." Butch raised his eyebrow and shrugged.

"Dude, I thought we were dead? What are they talking about?" Brick just shook his head and straightened up, clearing his throat. He thrust a mitt out and spoke as boldly as he could manage.

"We're uh..." Brick faltered. He'd been about to tell them who they were, but obviously they already knew that. He glanced at his brothers, who just shrugged. Brick turned back to Blossom and cleared his throat again. He wavered, getting a good look at her...she really was taller than him.

"We're here to kick butt! And since yours are the only ones around, we're gonna start with you!" Blossom rolled her eyes while Bubbles giggled and Buttercup pounded her fists together.

"Sounds good to me, let's get 'em!" Blossom caught Buttercup's dress and held her back, still watching the boys carefully.

"They're still acting weird...we shouldn't take any chances, this could just be one of Him's schemes!" Boomer tugged on Brick's sleeve.

"Who?" Brick glowered and whispered back fiercely.

"I don't know! I'm as confused as you are!" Blossom looked at Bubbles, then Buttercup, and finally at the Rowdyruff Boys.

"Okay we'll use that new plan we came up with...if you get in trouble, holler Bubbles!" Bubbles nodded and without further warning the girls charged at the boys. Butch grimaced and tugged on Brick's sleeve.

"They're coming look out!" Bubbles tackled Brick and the two were sent flying back away from the group. Buttercup landed and swung a kick at Boomer, who ducked and flew back. Butch swallowed and turned, spotting Blossom standing across from him.

"This isn't how the movie went..." Butch muttered, holding up his fists and getting ready. Blossom smirked a bit, holding up her fists and moving into a much more professional looking fighter's stance. Butch narrowed his eyes, ignoring the sweat forming on his brow. Blossom slid her foot back.

"You don't look so confident Butch...normally you'd be twitching like a psychopath," Butch started to respond but shook his head, thinking against it.

"Let's just get this over with," Butch dove forward and threw a punch. Blossom dodged easily and threw back a punch, sending Butch stumbling backward, his eyes crossed. Blossom blinked and quickly focused once again.

"W...w...woah..." Butch stopped and shook his head, holding the side of his face. Shaking his head again, he finally got his eyes to uncross as he looked back at Blossom. "I thought the green one was supposed to be the tough one..." Blossom smirked and tensed up, ready to attack again.

"I have my moments," Butch shook his head and stared at Blossom. Something about this seemed familiar...at least he remembered talking to her. Something about fighting?

'Why in the world would she tell me about fighting? I didn't see me talking to her on that video...' Butch's eyes widened. The ruff stumbled back, dodging another deceptively powerful punch. He took another swing, this one hitting its mark and knocking Blossom off her feet. He blinked, a grin spreading across his face. He did remember fighting...even if it wasn't with her specifically. He remembered fighting...he remembered liking fighting. He liked fighting a lot.

* * *

Meanwhile, Boomer was doing his best to avoid Buttercup's belligerent assault. It seemed like no matter how fast or how far he dodged, she was always in his face throwing another punch. He swallowed nervously when his back hit a wall. Yelping he ducked under the punch and stumbled away. Buttercup frowned and shook her head.

"Why aren't you fighting back? C'mon Boomer! At least make this a little interesting before I kick your butt!" Boomer gulped and laughed sheepishly, holding up his hands defensively.

"Well I would if you'd stop punching so hard! You're gonna hurt someone!" Buttercup grinned and held up her fists, bouncing like a kick boxer.

"That's the point! I'm trying to hurt you!" Boomer laughed and quickly ducked away from another punch. This time he decided to retaliate. Standing up as fast as he could, he landed a blow on her side, knocking her forward a few steps. Buttercup spun around, still jumping from foot to foot like a kick boxer. Boomer stared, blinking and watching her carefully.

"Woah...freaky..." Buttercup stopped, tilting her head and staring at Boomer.

"What?" Boomer just shook his head and brought a hand to his mouth. Buttercup just shrugged and charged him again, finally hitting him. The blow was so powerful it sent Boomer spiraling through the air and crashing into a parked scooter. Boomer, eyes swirling, got to his feet and brushed off his shirt.

"Okay that hurt! Now I'm mad!" Buttercup charged again, but Boomer met her halfway, tackling her out of the air. The green puff grinned and threw the Rowdyruff away.

"Now that's more like it! C'mon, dude, let's do this right!" Buttercup threw a sarcastic emphasis on 'dude', irking the blue ruff further. Boomer growled and stood up, clenching his fists, his cheeks red with embarrassment.

"You are so going to get it!" He charged Buttercup again, but the green puff dodged his attack and tripped him, catching him in a headlock and pinning him to the ground. Boomer growled and struggled free, shoving Buttercup back. He looked her up and down, she was barely fazed by the fight. Buttercup kept a careful eye on Boomer, red-faced and panting. He growled, a high-pitched whiny sound.

"Why are you so tall!?" Buttercup snickered and put her fists up.

"Why are you so short?" Boomer yelled and flew at her again.

* * *

Brick and Bubbles spiraled through the air, finally crash landed several yards away from where their siblings were locked in mortal combat. Brick shoved Bubbles away and stumbled to his feet, dazed from the sheer impact of the tackle. He rubbed his head, pausing when his hands met his messy, tangled hair.

"What the..." Brick felt around his head, blinking and looking up upon realizing that his hat was missing. He heard Bubbles giggling and looked up to see her wearing his hat. Brick groaned and slouched, rubbing his forehead.

"That's not funny...give me my hat back," Bubbles stuck her tongue out, hands behind her back and her eyes closed cutely. Brick gagged and rubbed his cheek. "Stop it...this isn't a joke, give it back," Bubbles giggled again and struck a pose.

"How do I look?" She lowered her voice and spoke in a gruffer tone, "I'm Brick! I'm the master of massacre! The baddest of bad! But I'm really a silly little boy!" Brick frowned and crossed his arms, looking away from her.

"I don't sound like that at all! My voice isn't that low," Bubbles tilted her head, tapping her chin. He had a point.

"Ooh, you're right...you sound different today. Did you get a haircut?" Brick ruffled his hair again, looking around nervously. He shook his head and turned back to Bubbles.

"No...this is how it always looks," Bubbles shook her head, looking him over more.

"No it's a whole bunch longer! It looks more like Blossom's, 'cept not as pretty. Do you ever wash your hair? You should get the shampoo Blossom uses! It makes her hair so pretty and soft!" Brick blushed and put his hands over his head, groaning.

"Can I just have my hat back?" Bubbles grinned and floated into the air.

"If you can catch me first!" Brick groaned, watching Bubbles fly off over the horizon. He rubbed his head, looking around and feeling terribly vulnerable.

"...Oh alright! Come back here!" Brick blasted off after Bubbles, growling and trying his hardest to make any kinda of gain on the blue puff. Still just like the girls were apparently taller than the boys, Bubbles was much too fast for Brick to catch up.

"Slow down! This isn't even fair!" Bubbles spun around, and smiled sheepishly, noticing the distance. The blue puff put on her breaks, coming to an abrupt halt. Brick blinked and yelped, spinning out of control and crashing into a Stop sign, sliding to the ground painfully.

"Ugh...why did I get the blonde one..." The red ruff sat up, rubbing his head and grumbling. Bubbles landed across from him and offered an apologetic grin.

"Sorry Brick...are you okay?" Brick rubbed his head and glared at her, his eyes drifting from his hat to her face, back to his hat. He narrowed his eyes and slowly got to his knees.

"Aren't we supposed to be enemies or something? Why do you care?" Bubbles stuck her tongue out and crossed her arms, looking away.

"Well excuse me for trying to be nice! You're the one acting weird!" Seeing his chance, Brick shot forward, tackling Bubbles to the ground.

"Give me my hat!" Bubbles threw her hands up, holding the hat on her head to keep Brick from prying it away. He growled and struggled harder and harder. "Man cut it out! You're gonna tear it!" Brick grumbled and grabbed Bubbles, hoping he could throw her away or shake his hat free somehow. Bubbles began to squeal and giggle as he grabbed her sides.

"Hehehe! Cut it out that tickles!" Brick blinked and a devious grin spread across his face. He started tickling her faster, soon reducing Bubbles to a squirming and giggling mess. Finally she let go of his hat, allowing him to snatch it and jump back.

"Ha! I got it! Oh no..." Brick looked up just in time to see Boomer crash into him, sending them both into a tangled pile on the ground. The two pulled apart and started to get up, just to have Butch crash into them, knocking them back into the ground. All three girls regrouped, Bubbles still giggling much to her sisters' annoyance.

"Alright guys, I don't know what's gotten into you, but enough is enough," Bubbles finally stopped giggling.

"Yeah you're going to jail!" Brick pushed Butch and Boomer away from him, getting to his hands and knees and glaring at Bubbles, who just blew a raspberry at him. Jail...he remembered that, vaguely. Brick shook his head and stood up, staring at the girls. He unconsciously lent a hand to Boomer and Butch, helping them to their feet. His primary focus remained the three Powerpuff Girls.

"Take them to jail..." He mumbled, blinking and shaking his head. He assumed a rough imitation of Blossom's previous fighting stance, prompting Butch and Boomer to assume their own. The girls got ready to charge again. The boys were sweating, for whatever reason they didn't seem to stand a chance against these girls.

"This isn't how the movie went...I thought we won..." Butch whispered, flinching when he saw Blossom getting ready to attack again. Brick nodded slightly, taking his eyes off the girls just long enough to check on Boomer. The blue ruff was certainly disheveled and a bit tussled up, but he didn't seem that out of it.

"Yeah we did...looks like they got a little tougher since last time," Brick's face fell as the words tumbled out of his mouth. He shook his head, rubbing his arm. 'That's not right...we didn't fight these girls, no way. I'd remember that annoying blonde girl...they are kind of familiar though...' Brick looked up and noticed the girls had lost their fighting stances, now simply watching the ruffs warily. Brick looked at Butch, then at Boomer. Both of his brothers were sweating. Boomer was flushed, and Butch kept shifting his weight.

'We need a way out of this...and fast!' Brick looked around, trying to keep his expression calm and cool. An idea popped into his head and he quickly turned on the girls, laughing and crossing his arms.

"Hahaha! You girls totally fell for it!" Blossom narrowed her eyes and put her hands on her hips.

"What are you talking about, Brick?" Brick leaned closer and spoke confidently.

"We were totally just distracting you! By now, Mojo's already finished his half of the plan!" The girls' eyes widened as they traded a glance. Blossom glared at Brick and pointed her mitt at him.

"Where's Mojo?" Brick grinned and cocked his head, snickering.

"You think I'm gonna tell you? That'd totally ruin his greatest plan ever!" Blossom glared, but nodded at her sisters. The three puffs took to the sky.

"We'll be back to deal with you after we stop Mojo! C'mon girls!" The Powerpuff Girls flew away. The moment they were out of sight, Brick sighed loudly and fell back, staring up at the sky.

"Whew! Lucky!" Butch raised his eyebrow and chuckled, shaking his head.

"You had me scared, I thought they weren't gonna believe you!" Boomer growled and crossed his arms, kicking a rock.

"I was gonna beat that stupid...girl, making fun of me...jumping around like..." Boomer trailed off, sighing and glaring at the sky. The boys floated into the air, ready to make their way back to Mojo's place. Butch paused and looked at Boomer.

"Jumping around like what?" Boomer just shrugged as the three flew off.

"I dunno...something," Butch paused and looked at Brick, who had his head down. The leader just shrugged. Without another word, the three flew off for Mojo's observatory.


	4. Scene IV: Through My Words

**The Powerpuff Girls In:**

_**A Theater of Dreams**_

**Created by Craig McCracken**

**Story by Kevin Ivy

* * *

**

**Act I: Scenes from a Memory**

**Scene IV: Through My Words**

That night, long after his brothers had gone to sleep, Butch sat in bed mulling over the strange sense of familiarity he had felt before. Mojo had been partially correct. They hadn't remembered a thing relating to that video he had shown them...as least as far as Butch knew. But he, at least, had remembered something. The problem was that something made everything even more confusing.

"Butch...you still awake?" Butch jumped, looking to his side where his brother was laying, eyes still shut. Brick peeked one eye open, sitting up when he saw Butch looking back. Butch nodded and leaned back against the headboard of their shared bed. Brick leaned back beside him, turning and watching Boomer snore loudly.

"Thinking about today?"

"Yeah...I think I felt something, but I don't think it was what Mojo was hoping," Brick nodded, thinking back to his encounter with Bubbles.

"Me too. Mojo made it sound like we're supposed to hate them or something...I dunno, I just thought that girl was annoying. I don't remember fighting them at all," Butch nodded, sighing and plucking his cowlick, letting it snap back into place before plucking it again.

"I think I talked to that girl before...the one with the bow," Brick sat up, leaning on his knees and giving Butch a close look.

"Really? What did you talk about?" Butch shrugged, keeping his eyes on the far wall.

"I dunno...something about fighting. We weren't fighting though...I liked fighting, I just don't remember fighting her," Brick nodded, Butch felt the same way he did. Fighting the girls just hadn't felt right. Brick looked at Boomer again. The blue ruff had a few bruises and had been in a sour mood the rest of the day.

"If they're our enemies why did they go so easy on us? That blonde girl didn't even try to fight me, she just messed with me," Butch snickered.

"Oh yeah, I heard you yelling at her," Butch frowned and rubbed the left side of his head.

"I wish I had that trouble man...I had no idea that pink puff was so strong, I think she just hit me three times but man it hurt!" Butch sighed and slid back beneath the covers. "But she didn't really seem like she was trying that hard either...and I know the green puff was just messing with Boomer," Brick put his hands behind his head, looking up at the ceiling. The blue puff had said something he remembered.

"Jail...the blue puff said something about jail," Butch looked up at Brick, raising his eyebrow, shrugging.

"What's that?" Brick shook his head and sighed.

"I dunno, but I know I remember her talking about it. Telling me, or us, or something....someone about it. Taking people to jail," Butch frowned and sat up resting his chin on his mitts.

"That doesn't make sense...I thought we were like...bad guys?" Brick nodded and laid down on his side, pulling the covers up to his chin.

"Yeah...oh well...whatever, night Butch," Butch muttered a good night, but didn't feel like going to sleep yet. He stared at the far wall, thinking about what Brick had just told him, thinking about what Boomer had mentioned before they left, thinking about what he had remembered.

'Mojo wasn't lying...I think we did have a...a past life or something...but I don't think it was those guys we saw...or maybe it was, they looked like us...man my head hurts,' Butch sighed and rubbed his head, lying back in bed and closing his eyes. Eventually, he slowly drifted off to sleep.


	5. Scene V: Fatal Tragedy

**The Powerpuff Girls In:**

_**A Theater of Dreams**_

**Created by Craig McCracken**

**Story by Kevin Ivy

* * *

**

**Act I: Scenes from a Memory**

**Scene V: Fatal Tragedy**

The Rowdyruff Boys woke just before noon the next day. Cautiously they crept into the laboratory, eyes peeled and scanning the expanse of the observatory for Mojo. Boomer nervously peeked around the corner, spotting Mojo at his computer, watching a recording of their fight with the Powerpuff Girls. The boys traded a look.

"You think he's mad?" Boomer asked, peeking around the corner again. Brick bit his lip and adjusted his hat.

"Probably...he didn't say anything to us last night...let's just bite the bullet guys, go out there and talk to him," Boomer and Butch nodded. Heads low, spirits meek and their eyes averted, the boys walked into the room, stopping behind Mojo. Brick started to speak, but quickly shut his mouth when Mojo started to move.

'Better just wait for him to say something first...' The boys stood quietly, wincing every now and then when Mojo would shake his head at something on the video. The screen went blank and slowly their father spun around to face them, arms crossed, fingers tugging at his own fur.

"So you've finally awakened," Brick winced and offered an apologetic frown. Butch stuck his hands back in his pockets, keeping his eyes on the floor, while Boomer scratched his head.

"Listen, Pops, about yesterday..." Mojo shook his head and turned slightly, starting the video again and freezing it with both the ruffs and puffs on the screen. He stroked his chin and glanced at his sons.

"I hadn't noticed either, but you are so diminutive, so tiny...so much shorter than the girls!" Boomer frowned and crossed his arms.

"They weren't that much taller..." Brick elbowed and shushed him quickly. Mojo tapped his fingers on the console, pursing his lips.

"What happened out there? What were you doing, attempting, were you even trying? Putting forth any effort at all? Surely Powerpuff Blossom isn't stronger than you Butch! And yet...Brick was the only one who came close to actually defeating one of the Powerpuffs!" Brick smirked at his brothers, who both glared back. Mojo cleared his throat, bringing their attention back to him. He pointed a finger at Brick and narrowed his eyes.

"You were just lucky she didn't fight back, if your brothers' battles are any indication, a sign of what may have been, you'd have been thrashed, beaten, dominated as thoroughly as they were!" Brick flushed and looked down, cringing. Mojo sat up straight and turned back to the monitor.

'This makes no sense, it's unheard of, impossible...how could they have lost so miserably? Perhaps something went wrong, some unforeseen, unpredicted, unprecedented anomaly in the concoction?' Butch looked at Brick, glancing toward Mojo and shrugging. Brick shook his head. Butch rolled his eyes and jerked his head toward Mojo again. Brick rolled his eyes and sighed, clearing his throat.

"Uh...hey Pops...we were...well we kinda think we...hey did we ever talk to those girls in our uh...old life, or whatever?" Mojo turned around, a broad grin on his face.

"You've remembered something? What is it? Tell me what you've recalled, what has returned to your knowing!" Brick blinked and looked at Butch, who just shrugged. Boomer narrowed his eyes and gave his brothers a confused shrug. Butch just waved him off and looked at Brick expectantly.

"Uh well...hm...I think I remembered talking to that blue one, whatever her name was. She was saying something about jail?" Mojo started to respond, but Butch chimed in.

"Yeah! I remember talking to Pink Puff! She was telling me I was supposed to fight! Or stop something...I dunno it's foggy," Boomer put his hand to his mouth, narrowing his eyes. The other three watched him closely, watched him bounce. Boomer shrugged and shook his head, grinning sheepishly.

"Nope sorry, don't remember anything!" Mojo frowned and pinched the bridge of his nose.

"No you never spoke to those girls like that! In fact I don't remember you ever speaking, addressing or even talking to the girls more than trash talking!" Butch and Brick shrugged again, as Mojo returned his attention to his computer monitor. The air was heavy with apprehension; the boys were nervous; the monkey was deep in thought. Mojo perked up, lightly pounding his fist on the console. All three boys jumped.

"I've got it!" Mojo leapt to his feet, pacing back and forth in front of the boys, "Clearly you were not yet oriented with your new surroundings and resurrection amnesia and this hindered your ability to face the Powerpuff Girls, you just need more time get used to, remember, and recover your previous state of power!" Mojo turned to the boys, who were all looking back at him with matching expressions of confusion.

"Um...what?" They muttered in unison. Mojo slapped his forehead and sat down once more.

"You need to get out and stretch your powers! Work up a sweat, exercise a little! Go rob a bank so that I can afford to keep you, pay for the costs that will assuredly rise by your being present, alive, functional once more," The brothers shrugged and started to float into the air. Mojo blinked and sat up straight, halting their progress.

"Wait! You are clearly not up to the task of challenging the Powerpuff Girls yet. If you encounter them, do not fight them! Do not engage them, and under no circumstances should you confront them!" The boys nodded and took off through the roof. Mojo winced, diving out of the falling debris' path.

"I should also teach them to use the door...that might get pricey..."

* * *

The ruffs were en route to the Townsville National Bank, still a little confused by Mojo's rambling. Boomer tugged on Brick's sleeve; Brick turned to him, slightly annoyed.

"What now?" Boomer glared and backed off, turning away. After a moment, he looked back. Brick was still staring at him. Boomer sighed and looked over his shoulder at the observatory.

"So um...what was he talking about? Do you guys know?" Brick and Butch shook their heads, the former putting his mitt to his chin.

"I guess Mojo thinks if we do bad stuff we'll remember our old lives or something, it didn't really make a lot of sense. Oh well, let's just rob a bank so he'll buy us stuff," Boomer grinned and began flying faster. Butch just rolled his eyes and crossed his arms. He looked up and pointed ahead.

"There's the bank...I think? Let's get 'em!" The boys began to descend, but the doors flew open and five men in ski masks came running out holding burlap sacks. Without thinking, Brick slugged the first one and yelled out at his brothers.

"Stop those guys! They're getting away!" Boomer slammed into another one of them, while Butch dropped down and kicked one, knocking him into the last thief. The boys all grinned proudly, standing over their defeated foes and trading high fives and gloats.

"Did you see me?"

"I creamed that sucker!"

"He didn't see what was coming!" Brick grinned and put his hands on his hips, looking at the defeated thugs. "Alright guys, let's take these jerks to jail!" Boomer started to lift one of them, knocking the sack out of his hand, spilling its contents onto the ground. All three boys froze and stared at the money. Butch slowly raised an eyebrow.

"Um...wait they were robbing the bank...that's what we were supposed to do right?" Brick nodded and picked up a couple of the sacks, looking in them.

"Right...so...why did we stop them?" Brick turned to his brothers, who just shrugged and picked up the other sacks of money. Boomer looked at the sacks and cocked his head.

"Because it's...the right...thing to do?" Butch blinked and peered into the distance. He gulped and took a few steps back.

"Uh guys...I think the girls are coming...just go, let's just run!" Brick and Boomer yelped and took off into the air with Butch, all three flying low and just slow enough to avoid detection. Glancing back, they saw that, sure enough, the Powerpuff Girls had arrived on the scene. Arrived to much confusion. Butch frowned and glanced at the sacks, and then looked back at the girls again. He growled and stuffed the bags into Brick's arms.

"You take these, I've got other things to do," Brick and Boomer stopped in their tracks and watched Butch start to float away. Brick narrowed his eyes.

"Where are you going? We gotta go back and see Mojo!" Butch just waved and flew off. Boomer sighed and looked away. His eyes lit up when he spotted a building with a large neon sign reading "Arcade". There were all kinds of fun sounds and everyone left looking like they had a blast. Boomer grinned and stuck his hand in the sack, taking out a wad of bills and stuffing it into his pocket.

"That looks fun!" He shoved the sack into Brick's arms and took off toward the arcade. Brick groaned and glared at Boomer.

"Where are you going!?" Boomer turned around and stuck his tongue out, with a mischievous grin.

"That place looks more fun than hearing Mojo talk! I'm gonna go play there!" Before the red capped leader could argue, Boomer shot off for the arcade. Brick growled and lowered his head.

'I'm going to kill them...ugh...fine I'll do it,' Brick took to the sky, flying back to Mojo's observatory. When he arrived, he found their father hard at work at a new workstation. Brick cleared his throat, dropping the sacks of money on the ground.

"Good work son! You've done well, though I must inquire, ask, question as to the whereabouts of your brothers?" Brick scratched his head, debating whether he should cover for them or just rat them out. He coughed and faced Mojo.

"They're doing other...um...villainous things. I think they're trying to recover their memories," Mojo paused, staring intensely at Brick, who kept an even expression throughout the glare. Mojo nodded and returned to his invention.

"Very well, you're free to do as you wish," Brick pumped his arm and grinned. He wandered up behind Mojo, looking at his invention. Brick whistled, glancing over the blueprints.

"Hey Pops, whatcha working on? Looks wicked sick!" Mojo blinked and gave Brick a pursed lip stare. He cleared his throat and turned back to his invention.

"It's a new ray device, very experimental, I'm just building a shell, a body, a housing for the actual device. I've still yet to crack the workings of the firing mechanism," Brick nodded, still examining the blueprints.

"So what's it do?" He paused and tapped his chin. Beaming, he pointed a mitt at Mojo, "In theory, of course," Mojo stroked his chin, snatching back the blueprints and examining the equations written in the corner.

"Well you see it is suppose to trigger an...implosive effect, that is the damage comes not from the gun itself but rather from the gun's target, the person at whom the gun is aimed. The gun fires out a beam that creates a..." Mojo lifted one hand, making quotes in the air, "Chi vacuum? I suppose? It begins to pull the target's bodily energies into a single point, creating a compressed, focused, tense point that upon reaching a certain point, causes a...disintegrating effect, the energies collapse and unwind.," Brick nodded and looked over Mojo's shoulder.

"So if it hit one of us it'd be like an...unbirth, like the Chemical X that made us compressed the ingredients together to give us physical form this would make the Chemical X eat our own bodies away? Pops, that is absolutely malicious!" Mojo grinned, welling up with pride. Brick patted his father on the shoulder and continued grinning.

'A point of compressed energy, focused to a degree that destabilizes and results in physical deterioration...kinda like a spontaneous...ex...explosion..." Brick blinked. Mojo was speaking, but he wasn't listening. He just continued grinning and nodding.

* * *

Boomer strolled into the arcade, grinning broadly. He stopped and looked around in wonder, gasping with delight. The entire building was alive with flashing lights and buzzing sirens. Boomer ran up to the nearest game, watching an older teen struggle to overcome the alien invasion with just a tiny triangular ship. Boomer ran to the closest unoccupied game, looking around for a way to get it to start. He blinked and looked back at the other boy, watching him insert a few shiny coins into the machine. Boomer pulled out some of the bills he'd snatched from the sack and ran over to the counter, pounding on it and bouncing up and down excitedly.

"Hey! I want some of those silver monies! I wanna play a game!" The cashier sighed and leaned forward on his elbows, glaring at Boomer.

"Listen Boomer, don't cause trouble like last time, or I ain't lettin' ya back in," Boomer blinked and stared in confusion. Shrugging, he nodded and gave the man his money, crying out with joy when he was handed a bag of shiny quarters. He skipped up to the machine, bouncing and giggling as he shoved several quarters in, hitting the big red button. Boomer clapped and grinned as the machine sprung to life, and the character selection screen came up.

"Ooh! Look at all the characters! Let's see...under Good Guys there's hey it's the Powerpuff Girls! Blossom...Bubbles—ooh she looks kinda like me—and...Buttercup! She's the mean one that was beating me up yesterday!" Boomer pouted and kept scrolling through the character selection, "Major Man...Major Glory, Monkey...Power Prof, Dex-Star, Diva Dynamite...Krunk, Val Halen...blech, I don't wanna be one of these guys," Boomer switched over to the other side, which read Bad Guys. He immediately beamed, spotting himself and his brothers.

"Sweet! It's Brick...cept his hair is really long and he looks kinda dirty...ew...Butch..." Boomer's struggled to hold back, but burst into giggles spotting Butch's haircut in the game. He wiped his eyes and moved over to himself. He frowned, looking at his hair, "Dude that isn't funny! I need a game comb or something..." Boomer frowned, but selected himself and was soon whooping and laughing while battling his way through the ranks of the Good Guys. As he beat his first opponent, Major Man, a message displaying Good Job, flashed on the screen. Boomer pumped his fist and shouted victoriously.

"Boomer did good! Boomer did good!"

* * *

Butch had followed the Powerpuff Girls home, making sure to keep his distance, occasionally ducking behind signs and buildings to avoid detection. He landed on the house next to theirs, peeking around cautiously. He raised an eyebrow and sat back, rubbing his head.

"Why am I doing this again?" He shook his head and leaned on the edge of the roof, looking across into the girls' bedroom window. They were playing a game or something, whatever it was it had Butch utterly confused.

The girls had set up a mock kitchen in their room. Buttercup was wearing one of the Professor's ties and a baggy looking shirt and slacks. Blossom was humming happily, standing over the play oven and pretending to cook. She was wearing an apron, her hair pulled up a little higher and a pair of big yellow rubber gloves. Bubbles skipped onto the scene dressed in casual wear other than her typical blue dress. Butch narrowed his eyes and listened harder.

"Good morning Bubbles! How did you sleep!" Bubbles sat down at the table, beaming at Blossom.

"I slept great Mommy! Breakfast smells woooonderful!" Blossom giggled and blushed a little. Bubbles turned to Buttercup and leaned forward on the table, "What big project do you have planned today, Daddy?" Buttercup cleared her throat and turned the page of the newspaper she was reading.

"I'm gonna finally finish buildin' that birdhouse I've been talkin' about," Blossom sat down the plastic plates at the table, rolling her eyes and putting her hands on her hips.

"Honey, you've been saying you were going to build that birdhouse for years now! Don't you have anything done yet?" Bubbles snickered, while Buttercup just ruffled her paper and blushed.

"I have some of it done..." Butch shook his head and quit listening, turning around and looking up at the sky. He plucked his cowlick and found himself subconsciously listening to the girls again.

"What are they doing? Geez, girls are so weird..." Butch rubbed the sides of his head. Somehow he remembered playing a stupid game with those girls. But, Mojo said they just fought the girls.

"But he started to say something else...maybe that has something to do with something...I don't know...what am I even doing here?" Butch rolled over and continued watching the girls play. Apparently they were pretending that Bubbles was Blossom and Buttercup's daughter or something? Butch stuck his tongue out.

'That doesn't look fun...well maybe...no not really...needs more action, or something,' Butch rested his chin on his mitts and sighed, staring longingly into the window. And yet...for some reason he felt like he wanted to play with them. Felt like somehow...he belonged with them. Butch stuck his tongue out and sat up, cross-legged and arms crossed, glaring at the window.

"Stupid girly thoughts...probably stupid whatever Mojo said...resurrection something," Butch sighed and kept on watching. Something about it was so familiar, even if it felt like a hundred years ago.

* * *

Brick had wandered off from Mojo. Truth be told he'd greatly enjoyed their father-son bonding. Mojo was a genius, Brick was pretty sharp, and it seemed like the simian had enjoyed his son's input on the weapon. Brick yawned loudly and sat down at Mojo's computer, logging online and surfing the web for anything of interest. The day wasn't even half over, and Mojo said he didn't need the boys to do anything else.

"I don't think memory is going to be enough to deal with those girls...they were a lot stronger than we are," Brick mumbled, quickly pouring over the video clips Mojo had of the girls' various battles. He tapped his lip, watching the video of their...past selves...fighting the girls. They had been even...no the boys had been vastly stronger than the girls.

"Maybe because we're still five and they're almost seven now?" Brick glanced back through the files. It was near the end of June, the twenty-eighth actually, and the girls' birthday was...

"July 3rd...so we are two years of development behind, that has to be a part of it," Brick went back to the video, sighing and watching it repeatedly. "There's no way we can just play catch up...something's missing though, I can feel it," He rubbed his chest and sifted through a few more videos. He paused on one, blinking and clicking on it.

"Another Powerpuff Girl? Why didn't Pops mention this...oh my God! She's hideous! Ugh! Take it away! Take it away!" Brick rapidly clicked the close button, covering his mouth and trembling. "Holy crap! I thought Powerpuff Girls were supposed to be cute?! Man that video has to be a joke!" Brick sighed and clicked on the video clip again, his eyes twitching as he watched it. Brick blinked and paused at the end. He leaned in closer, watching the girl begin to tremble.

"That's weird...she looks like she's..." The video suddenly fizzled out, the camera must have cut off. Brick sighed and crossed his arms, "Weird...hey how were we destroyed anyway?" Brick flipped back to the video of the Powerpuff Girls vs. the Rowdyruff Boys, and skipped to the end. He stared in wide-eyed horror, watching the Powerpuff Girls float up to their respective counterparts and casually kiss them on the cheek. Brick's hand went to his cheek.

"They kissed us...that's...huh?" The boys in the video began screaming. Brick narrowed his eyes and gripped the arms of the chair. Looking closely he could see them tensing up, see their skin begin to glow. Soon it erupted around them like an electrical storm. They began shrinking as the white light grew hotter and brighter, flinging sparks everywhere. Brick winced, gripping the arms of the chair tighter and tighter. His stomach churned as he watched the Rowdyruff Boys on the screen suddenly expand and explode violently, showering the streets with snips, snails and a puppy dog tail. Brick covered his mouth and stared.

"The gun...that's exactly what Mojo's gun is gonna do when he finishes it..." The strangest thing was...he didn't really feel anything. He felt completely at ease watching it. It didn't feel weird at all to see himself dying. Brick leaned back in the chair, spinning it around and letting his hat fall off over the back. He bit his lip and tapped his mitts on the arm rests.

"So what happened to that ugly fourth puff? Ugh...hate to run into her, she looked stronger than the other three...and I'd probably throw up if I saw her," Brick gagged and climbed out of the chair, returning to Mojo's workstation to spend more time with his Pops.

* * *

Butch floated up to the middle window of the girls' bedroom, glancing over his shoulder. In the distance he could see a monster attacking the town, with a pastel rainbow on its way to intercept it. He nodded and pushed the window open, floating inside and shutting it carefully. It creaked and Butch froze in place. Listening, he didn't hear anyone approaching. The ruff sighed and floated over, looking at the play set the girls had been occupied with for almost an hour. He looked over the play kitchen set and frowned, looking at a plastic tea pot.

"What's fun about this?" Butch set the toys down and wandered around the room, hands stuffed in his pockets. He looked through Bubbles' pile of dolls, staring at a large plush alligator. He looked around warily, whistling as he kept hold of it and continued searching the room. Butch glowered at the dainty pink walls, the colorful bedspread, and the piles of dolls. Butch blanched and cocked his head.

"What am I looking for...looking for...looking for..." Something about the room felt strangely comfortable. Sure the pink walls were sickening and the dolls were really creeping him out. But he felt almost at home. At least as much at home a boy could feel wandering around a girl's bedroom.

He clicked his tongue and set the alligator down, noticing a rather fancy box sitting on Blossom's vanity. Butch froze in place, swallowing and looking around, x-ray vision scanning the house and skyline for any sign of interruption. The girls' father was in the basement, and the girls were still dealing with the monster. Butch smirked and casually threw open the box.

Butch stared at the contents, eyebrow raised. There was definitely something familiar about it...which he couldn't understand for the life of him. Butch glanced around one last time then reached in and took out the single item. His eyes widened and his mouth dropped open.

Held his hand was a strip of cloth, purple with a black stripe across the middle.


End file.
